The invention relates to a method for machining a workpiece surface, in which an area to be machined of the workpiece surface is machined under the influence of a polishing operation.
Such a method is generally known and is often used for polishing surfaces of optical components, such as refractive optical components, for instance lenses or windowpanes from glass, quartz or BK7, and reflective optical components such as mirrors, from metal or ceramics. Known methods for polishing, in addition to polishing with a grinding template and grinding paste, are, generally, material-removing techniques such as SPDT (single point diamond turning), CCP (computer controlled polishing), MRF (magneto-rheologic finishing), FJP (fluid jet polishing) and EEM (Elastic Emission Machining), IBF (Ion Beam Figuring) and IBP (Ion Beam Polishing).
A problem which occurs with the known operations is that it is relatively time-consuming to manufacture a workpiece whose surface has a very great form accuracy. This is chiefly caused by the fact that it is often not possible to measure the form of the workpiece during machining. In particular when manufacturing aspherical optical surfaces, the polishing operation in an iterative process needs, each time, to be interrupted for measuring the workpiece in a separate measuring operation. Often, the measuring operation then takes place in a separate measuring environment, so that, each time, the workpiece has to be clamped again.
The invention contemplates a method for machining a workpiece surface, in particular an optical workpiece surface, with which, while maintaining the above-mentioned advantages, the drawbacks mentioned can be obviated.